Accident With a Pepsi 2: Trying Again
by Eldritch-Cien
Summary: Sequel! Yay! I hope you like it and yeah it's darker so have fun. Rated M for language and lots of grrness. Please R&R I love you guys!
1. Chapter 1

(4 years after Loren's death)

He sat in his temporary home, a cave far from civilization. He stared at the ground, clothed in only his pants and boots. Did anything have meaning anymore? He clenched his fist. An image flashed through his mind, a girl with black hair smiling at him. He grasped his head as if in pain. The girl spoke. _"Don't worry about me; I'll be fine."_

His eyes flared.

"You are not…you are _not_ fine…"

_"Besides, even if I got hurt, you would protect me, right?"_

"I was not able to…I could not…"

_"I love you…"_

He hunched over in his spot, still holding his head. His teeth gritted, something quickly flashed down his cheek. His voice cracked.

"I am sorry…"

There were more flashes on his cheek. The liquid fell to the floor, leaving dark spots in front of him. The man gave an anguished cry, howling at the ceiling for all he was worth.

_'I could not save you…! I could not protect you…!'_

* * *

After a time, he put the rest of his clothes on and traveled a now familiar path. At the side of the path a few miles later, near a closing fissure, stood the one thing he could not hold in his hands, the one thing he wanted the most. He stared at it, immediately feeling nostalgic. He touched the surface lightly.

"I am here…do you know that I am here?"

Of course, he received no answer.

"Do you hate me?"

Still he received no reply.

"Of course you do. I failed to keep my promise."

Nothing changed; he didn't expect it to. It wasn't as if it could magically be the way it was before. He looked away.

"Are you really gone…forever?"

As he stared at the ground, he felt a presence behind him.

"What do you want?"

He heard the presence step up next to him.

"You're not the only one who misses her, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth didn't look up.

"So you have come to see her. Considerate of you, Cloud."

"What, do you think we'd simply forgotten? You're an idiot if you think that."

He didn't reply. Cloud looked up.

"Vincent is coming, too. It's been a while."

"Yes…it has…"

Sephiroth felt another presence behind him after a few minutes of silence.

"Hello, Sephiroth."

"…Father."

"…"

"Does it bother you to be called that? I will stop if you want me to."

"No, I am simply unused to it."

"…"

Vincent stepped up close to her.

"Hello…Loren."

Sephiroth inwardly flinched hearing her name, but he kept his face stoic. Furtively glancing at his father's face, he couldn't help but notice and feel somewhat irked that there was a saddened longing in his crimson orbs. _'He has no idea how much it hurts to see her and not be able to touch her.'_ Almost as if Vincent had heard, he turned to his son.

"You are not the only one who feels pain."

Sephiroth somewhat raised a silver eyebrow.

"How would you know what I feel?"

"I felt the same way with your mother. I can see it in your eyes…how much you miss her."

"…You do not know---"

"And I also can see that for some reason, you blame yourself for what has happened."

Sephiroth's eyes flared. His hand twitched for Masamune.

"You think you know so much?! I ought to---"

"And through your actions, you have confirmed what I said."

With his hand on the hilt of Masamune, he faltered in his actions. He released his grip on the sword, but his eyes still burned in anger. Simmering down, he turned away from Vincent and focused his gaze on Loren.

"Had you just learned of your own feelings when Lucrecia was taken from you? Were you _'alive'_ when she left?"

"With your first question, no, I had known my own heart for quite some time. With your second question, I was quite alive when she left my arms. Hojo took her and proceeded with his twisted science and there was nothing I could do to stop it."

"Then do not speak of my pain as if you know."

"I would not figure you the type to feel pain in such a way, Sephiroth."

The silver-haired man lowered his head. He gave a wan smile.

"How correct you are. She changed me. I am assuming that since it is an emotional change it is ill boding for me. I might become weak."

Cloud shook his head.

"No, it isn't having emotions that makes you weak. It was your lack of it. The manifestation of your darkness that Kadaj created was devoid of feeling, except for perhaps the desire for suffering. The manifestation didn't know what it was to love or to even care. All it wanted was a barren world to use as a method of transport. The feelings you have experienced make you stronger. One: you know what to expect and two: they can give you a boost of strength if they are ever in danger."

Sephiroth restrained it as best he could, but he visibly flinched a little. Cloud nodded a bit.

"So Vincent's right. You _do_ blame yourself."

Sephiroth curled his lip.

"So what if I do?! What difference does it make, Cloud? I cannot change the way I feel."

The blonde shook his head.

"You can't blame yourself for everything that happens. It wasn't your fault she died."

"Do not say that."

"What?"

Sephiroth set his eyes on Cloud. The younger man almost took a step back. Sephiroth's sea-green pools were swirling, making it seem as if the man's eyes were on fire.

"Do not say that she is dead."

"Sephiroth…"

"Say nothing."

"It's been ten years…!"

"That does not mean anything."

"But---"

"Silence, Strife!"

The exasperated blonde struck Sephiroth's forehead with his palm. The general stumbled backwards a step in surprise.

"Sephiroth, get it through your head! She's not coming back; she's gone, dead! There's nothing you can do about it."

Vincent grabbed Cloud's wrist lightly, shaking his head.

"That's enough, Strife."

Frowning slightly, Cloud took a few steps back and looked at Loren. She looked so…empty. She didn't look to be at peace, nor did she seem angry or sad. Her face had taken an unusual form of balance, and yet something seemed to be crying out to him, pleading to be let free. Cloud tried to shake off the feeling, but it only seemed to be getting stronger. A wind that sounded like a sigh was enveloping his mind.

'_Help'_

He shook his head, his attempt ineffective. What was going on?

"Loren?"

The question was barely whispered, but it didn't miss Sephiroth's hearing. He fixed his gaze on the blonde again. Cloud's eyes were beginning to glaze over as he stared intently at Loren. A scream pierced Cloud's thoughts suddenly. Clutching his head in pain, he fell to his knees. As he shook his head fiercely and the screaming continued, he himself began to scream. Vincent had a hold of his shoulders, calling him. Sephiroth had Vincent step aside and he clutched Cloud's forehead with a bare hand. The scream entered his mind. It tore at his mind, making his hand shake and sweat bead on his brow. _'No wonder Cloud is screaming along with it.' _He felt Cloud fall unconscious beneath his hand. He lowered the blonde to the ground and heard the scream die with Cloud's passing out. He looked up at Loren's form, as still as ever. _'Was that you? What is going on, Loren?'_ _'This still does not prove anything. The voice was probably an emission of the crystal she is in. It could be projecting her memories and nothing more. Hmph, I imagine that even if I had the courage to slice the crystal, the moment she hits air, she would probably decay.'_ He growled to himself. Indeed, he had not the courage to destroy the crystal and grab the contents inside. He didn't want to know what would happen. He didn't want to see her crumble to dust before his eyes. Vincent fixed his dark gaze on Sephiroth.

"What happened, Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth shook his head.

"Something was screaming in Cloud's head. Nothing to be worried about."

"Nothing to be worried about? Cloud just passed out after screaming incessantly. It would seem that there would be something to be worried about."

"It was a scream, that is all."

Vincent looked down at Cloud.

"Scream? Whose was it?"

"I would not know."

"Don't lie."

"I am _not_ lying. If you cannot take my word for it, then leave me be."

"It was hers, wasn't it? The scream seemed to have started while Cloud was looking at her."

"I would not know."

Shaking his head in silent frustration, Vincent grabbed the unconscious Cloud and threw him over his shoulder, nearly cutting himself with Ultima Blade strapped to Cloud's back. Still doubting Sephiroth on his knowledge of the scream, he decided to try and squeeze the information out later after taking Cloud back to his house.

"Sephiroth, do as Cloud says. Don't blame yourself. You would never blame yourself for anything. Why blame yourself now for something that was not your fault?"

Sephiroth clenched his fist and wheeled around to glare ruthlessly at Vincent. The gunman didn't flinch.

"You just do not get it, do you? I said I would protect her and save her if she ever got hurt. She is dead now. I obviously did not do my job. I could not save her when she needed to be saved!"

"You couldn't have saved her even if you tried. Nobody could have. She won't hate you for something you had no control over."

Sephiroth closed his eyes and turned away.

"I will not discuss this anymore. Leave me be."

Vincent moved to persist, but thought better of it when he saw that Sephiroth was no longer in a talking mood. He simply stood there for a while, thinking, but Sephiroth quickly snapped him out of it.

"Leave already. I wish to be alone."

Giving up for the time being, Vincent simply nodded and walked away with Cloud in tow. Now left to his own devices, Sephiroth inspected Loren closely. Nothing at all had changed, but he knew without a doubt that that scream was from her. _'Maybe she really is alive…but should I not kill her? She sounds like she is in pain. I can end it for her…but…what if her afterlife is filled with those memories? No, I cannot. I…cannot.'_ Sephiroth turned from her and started to walk away when he paused. He looked back at her, a melancholy washing over him again. He sighed in frustration and walked back to her. He gazed at the captive for a while and after shaking his head slowly, trying to rid himself of such worthless emotions, he put his back to the crystal and sat, pondering. _'Perhaps I should…then I could end everything…no! What am I thinking? Agh, even in death, she will drive me to insanity! She has already driven me to it once…no one can know of that incident…I had to burn the body…so much blood…heh, as if I am not used to it. At least Masamune was singing. A beautiful melody…a bittersweet melody…just for me…the darkness is so complete…I want to do it again…and again…until there is no more blood to shed…until there are no more tears to shed…until there is nothing more than the darkness…if I could, I would spill her blood…just to make it go away…no…I cannot…that would be pure madness…but…is that not what she will lead me to? Yes, dear insanity…welcome me once more…as I purge my body of tears…as I rid the planet of another useless human…yes…'_ A grim smile on his face, his eyes glowing even more than usual, he set out to find a lone figure, any lone figure, that would see to his needs…that would satisfy his thirst…to satisfy his insanity…Masamune's holy light dimmed and a new light took its place; the only thing that could sate Masamune's thirst now was blood, and that was exactly what Sephiroth went to find.

* * *

A/N: Uh oh, Sephy's lost it. Helloes, my loverly readers! Yay for the first chapter of the sequel! It's kinda dark, I know, kinda crazy, but that's what I was aiming for (I think.). Tell me what you guys think in your reviews. They are like 100 karat gold to me and I would so love to have them…(hearts). Please review, loveliest readers on the planet! 


	2. Chapter 2

No one had seen Sephiroth in two years. Cloud and co. had however noticed that unusual amounts of people were disappearing from town. Cid immediately suspected that Sephiroth was the culprit, and Cloud couldn't help but have his thoughts running along the same track. Sephiroth was never known for being perfectly sane, and Loren's death might have made him completely snap. He was almost worried that they would have to go and kill Sephiroth. _Almost_. He still had to avenge Aeris's death and the destruction of Nibelheim. He had a lot running against him in that department. From what Vincent had told him two years ago, when he said "Leave me be", Cloud almost shuddered with the memory replaying in his head. Sephiroth had also said that eleven years ago. _Eleven…_

"God, I'm getting old."

Vincent looked at Cloud with a slightly quirked eyebrow.

"Old?"

Cloud shook his head.

"I'm almost thirty."

Vincent almost smiled and gave him a pointed look.

"Cloud, I'm in my sixties. If anyone should be feeling old, it should be me."

The blond consented.

"Alright, you win. Even still, you don't age. I'm going to die before you do."

The gunman darkened.

"True. I'll see many deaths before I experience my own."

"Do you even know if you're going to die?"

"No. I might live forever if I so choose. I might lose my mind before I choose forever though. Eternity is a very long time."

Cloud looked up at the ceiling in 7th Heaven.

"Yeah, true. I guess I wouldn't want something like immortality. I would want to see a lot of people in the Lifestream: Zack, Mom, Aeris…"

Tifa paused from cleaning glasses to look at Cloud. He sounded so wistful; he looked so wistful…She bit her lip lightly. He would only want her, the delicate flower known as Aeris. She felt a tug at her heartstrings. Then again, he could be thinking of his friend, Zack, but she knew that Aeris was on his mind. She had stumbled across the flower Aeris had given him, safely stored away in the first drawer of his armoire. She and Cloud had been together six years now, and nothing had come of it. He would be in her company for a while, give her a hug or absently hold her hand and leave. He would always be thinking of other things. Two years ago, she had started to think of being married with him, and thought of it even more last year when Cid and Shera got married. Barret and Elmyra seemed awfully close and Marlene was now a young teenager, grossed out with the idea of her dad getting sappy with the lady who had been taking care of her for the past several years. Tifa inaudibly sighed. They would always just be childhood friends…

"Tifa."

She looked up sharply, nearly dropping the glass she was holding. Vincent's crimson gaze was boring into her.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

She put a believable smile on.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just daydreaming."

He obviously didn't believe her. He put his normal hand on her shoulder.

"Don't try to hide it from me. I can see through you."

Tifa turned a little red. Cloud was nowhere in sight. He had already left again.

"It's none of your business!"

"So you were upset."

She turned redder.

"So?"

"Why won't you tell me?"

She circled around the bar and took a seat on a stool nearby.

"It's just Cloud. Nothing to worry about."

"What is he doing wrong?"

"I just feel neglected. Alone."

"Have you tried to tell him this?"

She shook her head. She put her chin in her hand.

"What's the use? He'll probably just get mad and leave again."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Well, that would be a first."

Vincent's head tilted to the side slightly.

"Has he done this before?"

"No. But he always leaves me alone when I want to be in his arms."

"Just tell him what's bothering you. He'll probably understand."

"If I tell him what's wrong he'll get _really_ mad at me and won't talk to me again."

"And what is it?"

She looked away. She couldn't say this to his face.

"I think that he'll always want to be with Aeris, not me. That she's the one for him, and I'm not."

She felt a chilled hand grab her chin from her hand and turn her to face him. He was stoic, but she could see that his eyes were on the brink of a smile.

"You silly woman. He loves you; Aeris was important to him and he felt responsible for her death, and still thinks that way. He's been distracted since her death, because he is thinking of how he could have saved her but didn't. She was the innocent, pure part of his life that he hadn't seen before and he felt broken when that innocent part left him. He loved her," Tifa winced, but Vincent shook her chin, "but he loved her in a different way; not the way he loves you. He would do anything for you; don't you remember when he found you in the church after you fought Loz? How alarmed and worried he was?"

Tifa thought back to it and nodded.

"Just think about it; he always came looking for you and he always found you, no matter where you were."

Nibelheim, Sector 5, the church…he had always come for her, had always been there when she was in trouble. A smile slowly made its way across her face. She took Vincent in a crushing bear hug. He almost sputtered for air. _Almost_.

"Thank you Vincent!"

His arms still at his sides, he waited for her to let go.

It all happened so fast, yet so slowly. He turned to face her as she leaned up to kiss his cheek. Tifa was stunned, as she met not a pallid cheek, but firm, cool lips. Vincent was shocked to say in the least. It was a brief kiss, not even a second, but that was all that was needed. A heavy pair of boots quickly left the bar, the door slamming shut loudly. Tifa cried out after him.

"Cloud!!"

The glass on the bar fell to the floor, shattering into hundreds of little pieces. Vincent hoped he wasn't too angry and was right enough in the mind to hear her out. _'Don't jump to conclusions, Strife. Hear her out. Don't be an idiot.'_

Cloud got closer to Fenrir each passing second, his long strides carrying him far. He heard Tifa running after him, but he didn't care. For the person he loved to kiss another was beyond registering in his fractured mind. He felt a hand firmly grab his arm, but he fervently shook it off. She was being rather stubborn.

"Cloud, wait! Let me explain!"

"There's nothing to explain."

"Cloud, it's a misunderstanding! That was an accident!"

"It seemed rather convenient to be an accident. You just happened to find your mouth stuck to his. An accident, of course. Why didn't I think of it?"

He felt a ringed fist make a sharp connection with his shoulder and he stumbled forward. He stopped walking.

"Why don't you understand? I was talking to him about _you_; he reminded me why our being together would work out. I was doubtful Cloud, and now I know why! You never believed in me, never understood me, and I guess you figure you just want to be with Aeris right? She was all you were looking for, huh? That's why I was worried: I thought you didn't want me. I see that I was right; you were just looking for an excuse to finally leave me!"

He turned to look at her, dumbfounded confusion running rampant. Tears were rimming her beautiful eyes. Tears seemed so uncharacteristic of her…still, he wanted to be sure. His expression hardened.

"So tell me. How did you end up kissing?"

"Why should I say anything? You won't believe me no matter what I say."

"Try me."

"Vincent 'made me come to my senses' and pass my doubt and fear about us, so I hugged him and meant to give him a kiss on the cheek. He turned his face to me and we ended up kissing. I didn't want it. He didn't want it either. You, without trying to understand, decided to run off and leave me like you always do. For the six years we have been together, not once have you given me a kiss, not once have you looked me in the eyes and said 'I love you'. You give me a hug or hold my hand for not more than ten minutes and then you leave to God-knows-where without even saying good-bye. You never speak to me when we're together. You only nod or shake your head or give your usual 'Nnn'. You make me feel like I'm nothing to you Cloud. You make me feel like you don't even want to be with me when you are. You're always somewhere else! I'd like to know that I'm more than just your damn childhood friend!"

Cloud was stunned into silence. Tifa was coming towards him, her fists clenched. He barely registered the action. He did note the next one, though.

Tifa, a fierce expression dominating her features, roughly gripped his neck and brought him forth for a crushing kiss. Cloud didn't know what to think. The poor blonde barely had the sense to kiss back when she pulled away. The two stared at each other for a few seconds. Tifa blinked. Cloud suddenly had her in his arms and she felt him kissing her with a fury she hadn't seen from him before. He held her so close it was almost as if he were trying to mold her into him. Breaking away from her, he smiled faintly. He held her face in his hands, knowing that this was right, that there was no other.

"I love you, Tifa. Always."

She smiled and shook her head.

"Cloud…goddammit, I love you too. Never forget that!"

Tifa clutched his shirt as he held her close. There was no way she could ever forget this.

* * *

"Stephen, please wait!"

"What for? You lied to me, you wench. She was never my daughter. She belongs to some other guy. I will never live with the child of another man."

"How did you find out?"

"I heard her praying for her father to come and save her."

"That bitch, I swear I'll kill her!"

"Victoria, don't kill the thing; you would waste my money trying to bail your sorry ass out of jail."

"I'm sorry, Stephen!"

Stephen paused in packing his bags to look at her in annoyance.

"What good is 'sorry' going to do for you?"

"What would you have me do? I'll do anything!"

The round man rolled his eyes, but pondered nonetheless.

"I don't care. But make it worth my time."

Victoria disappeared. Stephen heard faint yelling coming from behind a closed door down the hall. He assumed she was going to beat the living hell out of the kid. He knew the thing wasn't his; there was just something freakishly unnatural about her. Something in the calm silence surrounding her or the intensity of her stare was unnerving. Kids her age weren't supposed to be that collected; they were supposed to be running rampant, demanding this and that. Greedy children he could handle; quiet, calm children were another story. He heard a faint crash in her room. _'Someone's getting hurt.'_ he mused. He heard a couple of thumps and he stepped out of his room to see the kid getting thrown down the stairs, literally. Somehow, she didn't break any bones, but he did notice that blood managed to get splattered on the stairs from a wound on her cheek probably made by whatever broke. Without a word or a cry of pain, the young teen picked up the bag of meager belongings that landed on the ground next to her. As she neared the door that her mother had obviously told her to go through, which he noticed was the front door, she stopped. Despite having no books or reading material in the house that she could get her hands on, her grammar was surprisingly accurate. Without looking up, he knew that she was addressing him.

"You're not going to stop me?"

With a contemptuous glare, he scoffed.

"Stop you? Why should I? You have been feeding off my resources for years, I being under the wrong impression. There's no reason for me to stop you. Don't think so highly of yourself!"

Her head dipped lower.

"I see. So you side with my mother."

Victoria's hands were white against the banister.

"You stupid, good-for-nothing creature! You have no right to even be in this house anymore! Hurry up! Get out!"

With tears rimming her eyes, the girl looked up at her mother. All color draining from her face, the mother took a step back. Never had she seen such contemptuous and dangerous eyes on a youth.

"I will become great. I will make you suffer like you made me suffer, mother. I may not have the right to live in this house, but you have no right to _live_. You are corrupt. Dad was right. You are a sad, confused woman who needs help. And I feel sorry for anyone who wants to live with you. My family hates me. What use is a family when they really aren't your family?"

With that, the girl left with the mother screaming after her. The girl didn't want to listen. Her own family had just kicked her out of her own home. She walked relentlessly for hours, even though her legs were on the verge of collapse and her breathing was labored. She stepped into a side alley when she was sure that she was far enough from her home. She collapsed on the floor, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get up for quite some time. She was startled when a shadow moved next to her. It was a street urchin who looked rather young. She narrowed her eyes and drew her knees up to her chest in a defensive position. The boy smiled lightly.

"Hey, what's the matter? You look down in the dumps."

"Leave me alone."

"How old are you? You look like you're sixteen or something."

"I'm fourteen. Leave me alone."

"Oh. You look older. What are you doing out here?"

"I got kicked out of my home. Go away."

"Harsh. Guess you pissed off your folks, huh?"

"I have no family. I said go away."

"No family? But I thought you said---"

"But you thought I said what? You don't know anything! Go away blast it!"

The boy's brows furrowed.

"Sorry. I guess I reached a touchy subject. The name's David. What's yours?"

The girl didn't reply.

"Ookay…uh, do you have any goals for the time being?"

"…Gain enough power to hurt Victoria. Scar her. Like she scarred me…"

He was confused. This girl, only 14 years old, had so much hate inside of her. How could someone so young have so much loathing inside? He noticed that she was gazing intently at him.

"How old are _you_?"

He shrugged helplessly.

"I never kept track, but I think I'm somewhere around seventeen."

"I see…"

"Say, why don't you come with me? I can teach you the ways of the street and I can help you get the power you want."

She narrowed her eyes further and seemed to think.

"What do you want from me?"

"As a way of training, I'll have you doing odd jobs and your rewards are strength and whatever I decide to let you have."

"…odd jobs?"

"Yeah, just some random things to do every now and then."

"I don't believe you."

"Trust me."

"I…alright. I'll do these 'odd jobs'. As long as I get power."

"You got it. You're already well on your way to being powerful. Just listen to me and do everything I tell you to do. You have every right to refuse but I wouldn't recommend it. All my jobs usually have a positive purpose."

"_Usually_…I see."

"Come on, I'll introduce you to my friend. He'll teach you how to defend yourself in case you have any hard jobs."

"Why would I…? Nevermind."

"Alright!"

"_The last time I listened to someone I almost went insane."_

"Hey."

David turned to the girl. One fist was clenched and the other was shakily reaching out to shake his.

"Yeah?"

"My name…"

"What is it?"

"Loren."

The boy smiled a little. He shook her hand firmly.

"Loren…I like it. Come on, we have a lot to do Loren."

The girl followed the boy deeper into the darkness and deeper into the darkest part of her life.

* * *

A/N: W00T!! Another chappie! I feel better now that I'm writing again, but I have a feeling that my style has changed a bit. I think it's a little more fluid now and random. I'm jumping time frames here. Actually I'm jumping time frames all over the place. I'm going by two year intervals, so a lot's gonna happen between chapters (eep!). I also think that those skits I would write take up too much time, considering I get cornfused a lot anyhow, so I'll stop those until I have enough sense to write coherently and not ramble. Okay, loverly readers. You know what you wanna do (or are thinking of wanting to do): REVIEW PLEEEZZZEEEE!!!!!!! I loveseses you guys. Wah! 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: A good chunk of this chapter goes to Loren, so no be mad, yes? Me sound like orc. Me want meat. Turu want meat. Gnoll meat be nasty. Me like meat of dragon. Dragon! Dragon meat be tasty. Human meat be nasty. Elf meat be very tasty. EAT ELF! EAT ELF!! KILL THE DRIZZIT!! DROW MEAT DROW MEAT!!

DISCLAIMER: ME NO OWN FF7 OR OTHER THINGIES. ON WITH STORY! WOOT. Lol. ME NO OWN WAL-MART EITHER.

'I want power. I need more power. I need for them to notice me. To fear me. It's not just revenge anymore. It's for the sake of striking fear into anyone I see. I will make them fear me.'

"Ma'am, where are we going? I don't think this is a shortcut to Wal-Mart…"

The dark haired figure didn't reply. The middle-aged man was feeling the beginnings of nervousness.

"I think I should turn around. I'm pretty sure we're going the wrong way."

'Don't ask questions. Just do as you're told and David won't pester you more than he has to.'

The figure stopped. Her black hair was shining brilliantly even in the dull light.

"Ma'am?"

"Are you sure?"

The woman's voice chilled him. It was cold…so very cold. She turned her head to show just the side of her face. Her eyes were narrowed, her face passive. Something about her frightened him.

"Y-yes…w-we should go back."

"Very well."

The man turned around and began to go back the way he came. He had walked barely a few strides when he felt a hand wrap around his mouth. The other hand swiftly wrapped around his arms, keeping him from flailing around. Eyes wide, he felt himself being dragged backwards into the part of the alley where the shadow was darkest.

"If you speak, your death will be slow and painful."

She removed the hand from his mouth and moved to get something from her jacket pocket. The man cried silently, wanting to beg for mercy and to let him go, but he knew that if he made a single sound, his death wouldn't come quickly. Even in the darkness around him he saw something fairly lighter than his surroundings, something that he assumed was a knife.

"On your knees."

Too scared to move, he simply stood there. He felt something slash against the back of his knees. Crying out in pain, he quickly fell to his knees.

"This is the end for you."

He spoke. He at least wanted to know why his life was being cut short.

"Why…?"

"I am following orders. That is all you need to know."

Assassination. So that was it…the man waited for it to come. The woman was pausing for some reason.

"I will find your family…"

His eyes opened in fear.

"And I will tell them that you loved them. That is the most I can do to apologize."

He was at least being granted that. He closed his eyes. It felt sharp, like a quick jolt from a headache, then that was it. He was gone. The woman shook her head as she quickly hid the knife in a dirty cloth. _'I hate this guilt…'_ She dragged the body into the dark parts of the alley and then ran from the scene. Almost half an hour later, she arrived in a small room with only a chair and a table.

"So did you do it?"

"Yes."

A figure emerged from the shadows, a man in his early twenties. He had dark brown hair and hazel eyes, and though his face gave him a boyish look, his eyes belied his features. They were filled with something akin to cruelty.

"Something seems wrong, Lor. What's up?"

"Nothing."

"Oh? I don't think I believe you."

"You do not have to believe me."

"Oh come on, Lor. What's the matter?"

"Why do you care so much?"

"Because you're the only one who gets the job done right!"

Loren's eyes narrowed.

"About that…"

"Hmm?"

"David, do I not recall you saying all your 'jobs' had a positive purpose?"

His eyes widened a little bit. He placed his hand over his chest in mock shock.

"But they do! How could you say otherwise? We get money and other good things out of it and society is rid of another bothersome peon!"

"That does not seem right."

David smirked and put a hand on his hip.

"It may not seem right to you, but your opinion doesn't matter. Nor does it agree with the rest of the streets."

"My opinion does not matter? Well, that shows how much I am valued here."

Loren turned around and started for the door but David intercepted and grabbed her wrist. She flung his hand off easily, but their eyes had locked.

"Keep your hands off of me."

"Ok, ok. So young but so feisty!"

"I am nineteen. I am not young anymore."

"Ah yes, you're right. You're old enough to be in love…"

He grinned lightly and stroked her cheek, but Loren quickly took a step back. His grin faded.

"That is not love. You just want sex."

He gasped lightly.

"No! I want much more than that."

Loren raised a suspicious brow.

"Oh?"

"No, I want more. I want your body, yes, but I want you to be subject to my every whim, to heed my call no matter where I am…"

She turned her face to the side in disgust.

"In other words, you want me to be your slave."

"Yes."

"You are screwed up in the head. I would never do that."

"Maybe you would. Maybe you wouldn't. Either way, wouldn't you like to find out?"

"I already know. I am no one's slave and I never will be."

He seemed ready to roar at her, but he stopped himself. He smoothed back his hair, though it did nothing but make it messier.

"Did you at least hide the body?"

"Yes."

"And the family?"

"They live."

"That's not what I meant. Did you make contact with them?"

"…"

"Loren!"

"…"

"I've told you a thousand times already! Do NOT make contact with the victim's family! They could trace you back here and then I would be screwed!"

"You are sick."

Loren didn't let David stop her this time. She stalked out the door and quickly decided to take a walk around town.

"Loren! Loren, get back here! You know I'll make you mine eventually! And I'll make sure you stop visiting their families! It's dangerous!"

Without turning, Loren stuck the middle finger up in the air and mouthed 'fuck you' as she kept walking.

"Loren!"

She didn't bother turning.

* * *

Though she didn't know it, there was a part of Loren that was watching herself. That part of her felt trapped in a cell, and she was forced to watch a bad movie. She banged against her wall.

"Stop it, I don't want to see anymore!"

Of course, nothing heard her.

"Please, I'll do anything! Just stop this!"

She heard something akin to a whisper. She stopped for a moment and looked around her confinement.

"Who's there?"

The same incomprehensible whisper echoed around the room.

"Tell me! Why are you doing this!?"

'_You must accept your past.'_

"I don't want to accept it! I never want to see it again!"

'You must, if you can continue onward. Your past is altering the future because you are making it so. If you want to succeed in the future, come to terms with your past.'

Loren listened to the voice speaking.

"Aeris? Aeris, is that you?"

'I am Aeris, but I am the planet as well. We speak as one.'

Loren bit her tongue to stop tears from falling from her eyes.

"Please. I don't want to see this."

'_You must!'_

The commanding tone made Loren silent. Releasing her tongue, she nodded faintly.

"A…alright."

'Don't worry, it's almost over.'

Loren nodded again.

"Okay…"

Clenching her fists, she forced the tears to stop and prepared to watch the final scene of her dreaded past.


	4. Chapter 4

"How long has Sephiroth been missing?"

"I don't know. I think it's almost been six years now."

"Damn…"

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know, but something doesn't feel right."

They heard a scream. His blue eyes flashed.

"Come on!"

They ran into town and saw the citizens running to their homes as quickly as their legs could carry them. The Zangan fighter's eyes widened. The town was a mess. Monsters were running amuck, striking down unfortunate people in their wake. The former SOLDIER cut down a creature hell-bent on taking down a man in his late thirties. After a quick 'thank you', the frightened man ran inside his home and locked the door. Something was indeed horribly wrong. Creatures usually stayed away from towns, much less attacked them. They were afraid of humans. Even more, something seemed disturbingly familiar with their aura, with their eyes…the SOLDIER's companion pointed in the distance. Her eyes were showing apparent confusion, unease, and curiosity. He looked over to where she was pointing and he saw with his enhanced sight a pool of Mako half a mile from the town. Even from such a distance, it was visible even to normal eyes due to its unusual brightness. What made it stand out even more though was that it wasn't its usual glowing green…it was black. He looked to his companion, already deep in thought.

"What's going on…?"

"Do you think that's why the monsters are here in town?"

"Yeah…Mako…no, Lifestream…is the life source of the planet, right?"

"Yes…why?"

"We have been everywhere, to every corner of the planet, but I have yet to see monsters like these."

"…Yeah, you're right."

"That black Lifestream may have something to do with it."

"What are you going to do?"

"Let's finish things off. After that, check on the town to see if anyone's hurt. I'm going to call Cid and see where else these things have been popping up. If this is worldwide, we're going to have a serious problem."

"Okay, I'm with you."

He gripped her hand tightly, before entering his battle stance.

"Alright, let's go."

Slipping her gloves on, she hoped to Holy that this was only a nuisance and not something else.

* * *

She cowered in the corner of the room, fearing the person in the room with her. The man seemed distant, like he was reflecting on something. She wanted to stay silent, but her fear overpowered her.

"Please! Please don't hurt me. Let me go!"

His attention shifted to her, but he wasn't seeing her. He saw something else, something he hated.

"You? You beg me to let you go when you killed her?"

She was becoming desperate. She had no idea what this monster was talking about. Her linen dress clung to her sides as she crawled over to him, making her voice overly sweet. She grabbed his arm.

"I didn't hurt anyone. Please, please let me go?"

The glow in his eyes flared. His face contorted in anger. He flung her to the wall opposite him. The peasant-girl yelled out in pain.

"Get your filthy hands off of me!! How dare you touch me!? You monster, you drench your voice in false sweetness after you kill the one I love!"

"You're the monster! You don't even know me! You're the monster for all the things you've done in this world!"

He shook slightly. She knew she wasn't leaving this room alive.

"All of my actions were manipulated by you, the bane of my existence!"

She saw something suddenly appear in his hand, and she began to shake violently, knowing it was that damned sword that killed her family. He took a single heavy step toward her.

"You killed her…you took away the only one I loved…"

The girl decided to be sarcastic her last few moments of life. Better than being afraid.

"You? Love? That's ridiculous. The only thing you love is destruction. I feel sorry for whoever you chose."

"SILENCE!!"

He sent his sword flying at her. Feeling it slice her belly, she screamed, hoping for it to end quickly. She felt another, and another, but she was dead after the second cut. He yelled out at her, not realizing that she was already dead and that he was crying again.

"Suffer like you made me suffer!"

Blood was covering his hair, his clothing, his face, everything around him as he continued cutting at the already mutilated corpse through blurred vision.

"Why did you leave me here alone?!"

'_I'll always be with you.'_

He stopped, startled at the sudden memory. He couldn't see her face. He could hear her voice, but couldn't see her face.

"I…"

'_No matter what, I'll be by your side always.'_

He fell to his knees, dropping his bloody sword. He held his face in his hands.

"I can't see your face! How could I have forgotten? Where are you?"

'…_here by your side.'_

He looked to the side, seeing the bloody corpse next to him. He cried out in anguish.

"Aaaauughhhh!!"

His gloved fingers bit into his scalp as he sat there wondering why everything had gone so wrong.

After a time, he looked at the body, realizing that he had killed yet another person, probably the eighth person this week. He had to remember her face. He set fire to the room and left Sector 7 to go and see her for the first time in almost eight years.

"I'm coming Loren…."

* * *

Cloud slashed the remaining monster, then planted his sword in the ground and leaned on it, panting slightly. After a few minutes, he strapped the sword to his back and spotted Tifa waving her arms around, announcing that it was safe to come outside. The villagers came out slowly and soon were milling around Cloud and Tifa, cheering and thanking the planet that they were safe.

"Tifa?"

"Yes?"

"How many casualties?"

"Only three. We got lucky."

Tifa's brows became creased with worry.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The blonde man shook his head, warding off dizziness. His shoulder burned horribly, almost like someone was putting salt, lemon, and fire on an open wound.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I just got a cut on my shoulder. Shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Tifa took out her cure materia and muttered a Cure 3 spell. The familiar green aura covered him and he shuddered slightly as the healing took effect. The two fighters looked up to the sky as Cid's airship landed on the town's outskirts. Tifa and Cloud entered the airship and looked at Cid expectantly. Said man shook his head, answering their question instantly. Cloud punched the side of the ship.

"Hey, watch it! This baby is brand new!"

"Damn it, if it's not one thing, it's another!"

"Cid, how bad is it?"

"It's not that bad, at least not from what I saw. A few towns have been raided already, but with all the towns and even out in the middle of nowhere, these weird black pools are popping up like the planet's got a bad case of acne or something."

Tifa looked to Cloud worriedly.

"What do you think is going on?"

"Jenova."

The new voice startled the woman, who quickly turned around to face him.

"Vincent?"

"I called Cid once I saw what was happening. This is Jenova's work."

Cloud strode over to him.

"How do you know?"

"I can sense her diseased aura in the Lifestream. She may be attempting to destroy the planet by contaminating the Lifestream and fusing her cells with new monsters and people that are being born. By doing this, her influence over the planet will be absolute."

Cid slapped his fist in his hand.

"How the hell are we going to stop it then, if she's makin' Jenova monsters and people? We can't exactly tell people to stop havin' kids and we can't wipe out all the creatures on the planet!"

"We'll just have to eliminate all the creatures that have appeared so far and see what we can do about the diseased Lifestream pools."

Cloud shook his head and slumped his shoulders in resignation.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. We'll just have to do the best we can until we figure out what to do."

He turned around and headed off to his cabin rest his tired muscles. Tifa followed and Cid headed off to the deck to smoke a cigarette. Vincent decided to go to his own cabin and get a little sleep. He hadn't slept the past couple of days because he was investigating what Jenova was up to.

Several hours later…

* * *

Vincent quickly turned a corner, chasing the elusive black-haired angel. She was fast, but he knew in his heart that he was faster. If only he could close the distance between them…

"Wait!"

She paused for a second and then jumped into a deep crevasse that seemed to go on forever. Vincent jumped in right after her, not caring that he may die when he hit the floor if there was one. Quickly transforming into Chaos, he spread his wings and sped down after the free-falling woman. All around him he heard screams, laughing, so many voices speaking at once. He reached her and scooped her up in his arms. He flew up, back to the place where they had been running. Placing his feet securely on the ground, he looked at the woman in his arms. His relief quickly turned to shock. The poor angel was covered in blood and shards of what looked like glass. Her lips trembled and her tear-rimmed eyes were threatening to close.

"It…it hurts…"

Vincent inwardly panicked.

"It's alright. You'll be fine."

"Please…I…"

Her eyes went blank and her trembling stopped. Her skin became devoid of what little color she had and her chest stopped rising. Vincent held her close as his eyes filled with tears. He shut his eyes tightly and bared his teeth in a grimace, his hair falling in his face as he buried his face in her chest. He howled to the endless sky for all he was worth.

"NO!!!!!!"

Vincent opened his eyes and sat up slowly, grasping his head with his human hand.

"Loren…"

'_I'm not supposed to be having these dreams…Lucrecia is there for me.'_

"_Yes, but when was she there when you needed her the most?"_

'_Chaos, she had no choice. She was imprisoned beneath the waterfall.'_

"_This is true, but hadn't you decided that you loved Loren, not Lucrecia?"_

'_That was because I thought Lucrecia was dead.'_

"_Come now. It can't be that easy. When you choose to love someone and love them fully, that lasts a long time, whether you like it or not. You can't just force it out."_

'_Since when did you care or know about love, Chaos?'_

"_We've been here together for a long time, Vincent. I would know many things. And I may be a demon, and a good one at that, but I _can_ love. Not the way you humans do, but a love all the same."_

'_Oh? And who have you loved, Chaos?'_

"_If you want to know so badly, my host, I have loved many demons. I loved Hatred, Death, and Oblivion."_

'_You loved Death?'_

"_Yes. As I said, a demon's love is not the same as a human's. We would go and spread our names around and then have a sort of courtship, mate, and care for the young if there are any, and then attempt to kill each other. If neither of us dies, we have an eternal respect for each other."_

'_Oh.'_

"_I can see through you, Vincent. You care for the woman, much more than you'd dare admit at this time. It doesn't help your situation by you having dreams about her."_

'_It doesn't matter. Sephiroth was there to care for her. He loved her…and…and she loved him. Nothing is going to change that.'_

"_You're going to stubborn, so I'll relent for now."_

'_Thank you.'_

Vincent lay back down on his bed and closed his eyes. Another night of wasted sleep…

A/N: Sorry I was so late with this chapter, lots of things have happened. At least I got it up though, ne? Well, I hope you enjoy. I'm hoping to make updates a little more regular now that I'm not doing anything that'll take up my time. Please review thankies!


	5. Chapter 5

(Ten years)

Loren exited the grocery store holding a couple of bags, only enough to feed herself for a few days. As she walked away from the store, she looked ahead of her and saw a middle-aged man with black hair and blue eyes coming towards her. His presence seemed oddly familiar, so much so that it made her uneasy. He gazed back at her, looking very tired and lonely. It felt like she was hallucinating, but as he stared back at her, his eyes seemed to widen and he quickly walked past her without saying a word. She turned her head to look at him more and saw that he had shoved his hands in his pockets and was looking straight at the ground. She shrugged and continued walking down to her apartment. The heat was beating down on her relentlessly. She glared up at the sky hatefully and took solace in the shade of a nearby alley.

Wiping her forehead with the back of her free hand, she leaned against the wall and rested for a couple of minutes. Knowing her way through the alleys from years of traversing through them, she quickly figured out a way to get home. Pushing herself off the wall, she started walking again. It wasn't long before she heard his dreaded voice call out to her. Another job?

"Loren…tsk, tsk."

She turned around, glaring at the speaker.

"What, David? I do not have time to talk to you. I need to get home and make my dinner."

The man rolled his eyes, smiling. Something about his smile made her uneasy.

"But I wanted to talk to you."

Loren sighed and crossed her arms.

"Fine. Make it quick."

His smile grew.

"But what if I want to take my sweet time?"

"Then I am leaving."

David took a step forward and waved a hand quickly to get her attention.

"Okay, okay, fine. I'll be quick about it."

"Time is ticking."

"Have I ever told you how brusque you are?"

"I do not need this. Hurry up."

The man sighed then looked her in the eyes.

"Alright fine. Didn't I tell you I'd make you mine?"

Loren frowned. He wasn't smiling anymore but his eyes were full of different emotions, some of which made her want to run away. Something was telling her to leave now and just ask him what he wanted the next time she saw him. The only thing was that there wasn't going to be a next time.

"Wha--?"

She felt hands roughly grab her arms and shove her into a wall. The hands were quickly replaced with someone else's. She felt hot breath on her neck.

"I told you Loren. Whether you like it or not, you will be mine. You can enjoy it, or it can hurt. What do you prefer?"

White-hot rage boiled inside Loren. She dropped her bags of food and pushed backward, throwing David off-balance. She turned around in a flash and landed a punch straight in his face. Hands grabbed her again and her head was thrown into the wall. There was a sickening crack and Loren collapsed against it.

'_I have to stay awake. Stay awake, stay awake!'_

She slowly stood but as soon as she got to her feet, she was pushed to the ground. She tried to get up, but there was suddenly a huge weight pinning her. Through her slightly blurry vision, she saw that David was straddling her and several other figures were surrounding her, laughing. Discerning slightly noticeable features, she saw that the figures were David's friends. She felt hands at her beltline. Outwardly panicking, she used the last bit of conscious energy she had to thrash wildly against him, but he just moved along with her and slammed her head against the ground. She heard more laughing. She let three tears fall before losing consciousness.

* * *

Loren watched the act being committed, crying all the while.

"Enough! Please, enough!"

"_What will you do? Will you simply cry about your condition or will you overcome your fear, overcome this obstacle?"_

"I don't understand! What do you want me to do?"

"_Leave your past behind and don't let it affect you, or harness it, make your weakness your power. You can only move forward to overcome your past! Now, I'll ask again. What will you do?"_

Loren grabbed her head and cried to herself for a while. After her shaking stopped, she looked up into the endless sky. Her features were set, her eyes full of anger and determination.

"I won't cry about it anymore. If I ever find them, I'll make them suffer. I'll make my past just that—a past. It's something to be left behind. If there are good memories, let them be remembered. I won't hide from it anymore."

"_Then are you ready?"_

"Ready for wha—aaaahhh!!!"

Pain ripped through her system. She felt as if she were being torn limb from limb. How could such an excruciating pain exist?

"Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!"

* * *

Sephiroth stood in front of Loren's prison, staring up at her solemnly.

"Loren…it…it's been a while."

The figure in the crystal didn't move, didn't speak…as usual. Sephiroth observed her face, memorizing everything so that he wouldn't forget again.

"I'm sorry. I got lost in myself…I couldn't control it. I hate it that you are gone. I hate it that I met you. If I had not met you, I would not be the way I am now. But the truth of it is…I could not stand the thought of never knowing you. I'm sorry I never told you how I felt while you were alive. I hate you and curse your existence…but I love you so much that I would kill for you. You've turned me into a wreck. You've made me so weak, so very _human_…and I'm grateful. I don't want to be a monster. I want to forget my creation. I just wish you could be here…Loren…"

"You talk to her as if she can hear you."

Sephiroth's hand dropped to the hilt of his sword instantly. He did not turn around, but waited for the intruder to speak again.

"…Sorry. That was kinda rude. Look, we need your help. It's about Jenova."

Turning his head to look at the speaker, he narrowed his eyes. The speaker tried not to flinch. Sephiroth's appearance was immaculate as ever, but his eyes were haunting. The past ten years had been hard on him…then again, it was expected; the love of his life died without him being able to do anything.

"What about her, Strife?"

Cloud scratched the back of his head nervously and then stopped when he realized what he was doing. It was an old bad habit that had to stop. Sephiroth quickly scanned Cloud's face. He almost smirked.

"You have aged, Strife."

The blonde swordsman glared at Sephiroth.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me. I really wanted to hear that again."

The ex-general shrugged.

"There are a few problems coming up. It seems like everything wants the planet to be destroyed in my lifetime. First it was you, and then it was Kadaj and his lot, then the Svliets and Deepground, and now this. Weird black pools of the Lifestream are popping up all over the planet and are creating violent monsters and affecting newborns worldwide. Vincent thinks they're the result of Jenova joining the Lifestream and using it to take over the planet."

"Kill all of the newborns and slay all newly created monsters."

"It's not that easy! Besides, we can't just go into someone's house and kill their kid!"

"They should understand."

Cloud grasped his head in his hand, sighing lightly.

"You really are callous. Anyhow, how are we going to go around the world and kill every child that was just born and stop the creatures coming out of the black Lifestream? It's all worldwide."

"I could just destroy the planet for you and be done with it."

"Uhh….no, that's all right. I have something to live for, thank you."

Sephiroth's grip around Masamune tightened. The sound of his gloves crunching against the hilt made Cloud's insides squirm.

"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. We're just asking for your help. You're a good fighter and you know more about Jenova than any of us. Can you help us or not?"

Sephiroth remained quiet for a time, silently pondering the situation. Should he just damn the planet to oblivion or should he help the person he considered a worthy opponent? It would be so easy to just let it all go and allow the planet's destruction, but he had to stop Jenova. She had ruined his life; she didn't deserve to rule the planet.

"All right. I will help you, but only because Jenova is involved."

"As long as you're helping us and not trying to kill us, I don't care what your motives are. I'll be waiting in the airship."

Cloud turned and left, leaving Sephiroth with Loren. He looked up at her and touched the glass lightly.

"I'll be back soon."

He turned and followed Cloud to the airship. A good while after he left there was an ethereal sigh in the air and a scream just as ethereal that pierced the air around the crystal Loren resided in. A crack appeared in the crystal then another and another. As a large fracture crested where her face was, Loren's eyes opened. Almost as if Shiva was breaking free of her ice, Loren burst free of her prison then quite gracelessly fell to the ground and lay there unmoving.

Sephiroth jumped off the airship with Cloud, Vincent, Tifa, and the rest. Sephiroth remained fairly silent as he scanned the area surrounding Rocket Town for the supposed black Lifestream and for monsters that seemed off. Cid strode briskly to his home to see if Shera was all right.

"Over there."

Sephiroth indicated in the distance to a small black dot. Cloud ran into the city, Tifa following quickly after. Yuffie, Red, Cait, and Barret tagged along with the pair. Vincent stayed behind and stood a few feet behind the silver-haired warrior.

"How have you been?"

"…."

Vincent looked away from his son.

"Not sure."

"Why?"

Sephiroth took a few steps toward the town.

"You know why."

"Yes, you're right. I know. Sorry I asked."

Sephiroth looked up to the sky. His features hardened and he began to run towards the town. His sword was already in his hand as soon as he took two steps.

"Above!"

Vincent drew his gun, Cerberus, and ran after Sephiroth. Looking up, he saw large winged creatures swooping down on the town, lifting people in the air, and dropping them. Spells were already flying at the monsters, but the spells rebounded off an invisible shield surrounding them. Surrounding buildings burned in giant fireballs and were destroyed by other varying spells. When Sephiroth and Vincent arrived at the center of town, Cloud was leaping into the air and slicing the belly of one avian. It burst into a cloud of black smoke, much like Kadaj's summoned creatures did. Sephiroth followed Cloud's example and leapt to slice deeply into a creature, effectively killing it. Vincent shot round after round into the sky above, several bullets landing their mark and eliminating some creatures.

Vincent suddenly flew into a nearby building as a monster leapt from underground and dug its claws into the gunslinger's side. Several others experienced the same fate, Cloud, Yuffie and Red XIII included. Vincent staggered to his feet, blood quickly covering his side. He ignored his pain and jumped on top of a building and shot some more rounds, reloading and shooting again within seconds. (they're going to pull a final fantasy XII here) Cloud jumped up and slashed at the last couple of creatures in the sky, but his sword bounced off the hide of the bird-like creature. Cid ran out of his home and without thinking launched a fire spell at a nearby monster. The creature shrieked in pain and flew in haphazard circles. Sephiroth frowned in surprise and began launching spells at the surrounding creatures. They all felt the effects of the spells and dissolved into black mist. The creatures continued to appear from the ground and sky and their weakness would shift often. A large monster, at least twice as large as the rest, appeared suddenly and created a wave effect that knocked the fighters to the floor. Sephiroth quickly devised a strategy and had everyone follow orders. The group flanked the creature, cast spells, attacked strongly and eventually left the thing in the clutches of death. As it dissipated, Sephiroth took a few steps away from the group and mused to himself.

'_These creatures had natural barriers that changed. How can we be sure when their defenses shift? Do all of Jenova's new minions have this power? If I could study the pool of darkened Lifestream, I may get a clue as to how I can solve this new problem.'_

"Strife."

Cloud looked over to the general, holding his side in a curious manner. He rejected the help of Tifa to heal and dress his wounds. He cast a quick healing spell on himself but kept his hand over his torn shirt. It was almost as if he were hiding something…

"Yeah?"

"We should go over to the Black Lifestream. I would like to observe it."

"Yeah, sure. Cid, do you think the airship can be ready for takeoff soon?"

"Hell, kid, you ask stupid questions. The crew's on standby."

"Cid, you can't call me that anymore."

"Yer ten years my junior. I can call you a kid if I damn well please!"

"Whatever."

"You can take the airship if you want. I prefer to run."

"Sephiroth, it'll take you over an hour to get to the Lifestream."

"I doubt that. Remember, age does not take its toll on my body like it does to you."

"You make it sound like I'm so old. You're older than me, remember?"

Cloud was in his thirties, but he really hadn't aged that much. His face was still fairly youthful, despite a few lines that had developed near his eyes, small as they were. His eyes still glowed brightly; his hair was as spiky as ever, his muscles still taut, his skin still maintaining their elasticity. The only way one noticed his age was if you saw how tired he looked, how many years of experience were seen in those azure eyes. With Sephiroth, however, he seemed as flawless as always, always carried that dignified superior aura wherever he went, still had the agility of a cat and the lives of one, and more still his strength, stamina, and will never wavered. He was as strong as always and probably would forever be until someone extinguished his life when no one was there to bring it back.

"…I know I am. But in the coming years I will be able to easily overpower you. The Mako in your body keeps you strong, but being injected with Jenova's cells and the Mako taking its due, you will be weakened considerably. In fact, after you reach the age of fifty, your cells will begin to regenerate twice as slow as a regular human at fifty. It is highly unlikely that you will reach the age of seventy due to the doubled rate of aging."

Cloud raised a firm eyebrow and ran a hand through his hair.

"Thanks for the lovely words, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth didn't reply and began to run in the direction of the black Lifestream. To prove his strength and continuing agility, Cloud started after him, catching up not soon after. The group for the most part struggled to keep up, save Vincent, Yuffie, and Red who managed to maintain pace nicely. Age didn't affect those three. Yuffie was still rather young, only 26. Age didn't apply to Vincent whom was nigh immortal. Red was still a pup by his race's standards, so he had nothing to worry about. After about twenty minutes, the group slowed and eventually stopped in front of the black Lifestream. Yuffie pulled a disgusted face.

"It looks like it is twitching and bubbling. Does the Lifestream normally do that?"

Vincent shook his head.

"That's precisely the point. This isn't normal Lifestream. It has been afflicted by Jenova's taint."

"Eew."

"Yuffie, haven't you grown up by now?"

"Yeah, of course I have! I just think it's disgusting. Come on, anything that has Jenova in it is disgusting."

Sephiroth and Cloud raised their eyebrows at the woman. The ninja gulped nervously.

"I didn't mean you guys. You two are awesome and all that…ok, I'm gonna shut up now."

Sephiroth looked down at the black liquid that hissed and spit at him like an enraged animal. Jenova was definitely behind this. He recognized her presence in the Lifestream. Hate boiled inside him as he glared at the offending pool. Something stirred inside the liquid. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed and before he could even register it, his legs were suddenly wrapped by black tendrils coming from the black Lifestream. Stronger than he thought possible, the tendrils brought him to his knees and quickly wrapped around his neck and arms. He grabbed at the bindings but they passed right through his fingers. Trying as he might to pull away, the planet's tainted blood was scant inches from his face. A voice called to him seemingly from the tendrils.

_Do you think you can stop me, you weak excuse of an immortal?_

"_Jenova…"_

Sephiroth's eyes became alight with fire and his fists clenched so tightly his hand began to ache.

"_Whatever it is that you are trying to do, it will be in vain. I will be there to stop you every step of the way."_

_Is that so? How do you think you are possible of that when you could not even save that pathetic human?_

"_How dare you mention her!? Were you here this instant, I would obliterate you!"_

_Ah, but that is precisely why you cannot stop me! I am not there to be stopped! How can you stop the Lifestream without killing the planet itself?_

"_It is low to use the Lifestream as a shield. I guess that must be how worthless you are."_

The tendrils tightened around Sephiroth's throat. Barely restraining the urge to wince, he again tried to pull the things off his throat to no avail.

_You useless failure! You dare to assume I am using the Lifestream to defend myself? No! It is my tool in the destruction of this petty planet! I will use the planet's corpse as a vessel to carry me around the cosmos, so I can destroy more planet's and become the supreme ruler of the universe!_

"_Do you honestly think your plan will work? I will find a way to stop you."_

_And your lowly companions? What of them?_

"_I do not care what they do, as long as they do not get in my way of destroying you."_

_I thought you were better than these creatures. But after what I saw with that girl, you are as weak and pathetic as the rest of them. You will die, Sephiroth._

"_You bore me with your insults. All I swear to you is that I _will_ find a way to destroy you. Count your days, Jenova."_

_And your threats bore me. You cannot do anything. You are a failure. And you will fail again._

The tendrils squeezed Sephiroth's throat again and nearly crushed it this time before letting go and falling back into the pool. Wincing at the pain, he backed away coughing. Unexpectedly, Yuffie came forward and gave him a slight push forward to prevent him from falling.

"Sephiroth, are you alright?"

He shook his head.

"It was nothing."

Cloud furrowed his brows.

"What happened there? Was it Jenova?"

"Yes. It will be difficult to do anything to her. She is integrated with the Lifestream so if we kill her, we kill the planet. If this continues, she will have a massive army in only a matter of time."

Cid looked exasperated.

"Shera is due in four months…will I have to…?"

Tifa shook her head and put a reassuring hand on his arm.

"No, don't even think about it."

Vincent looked grave.

"Will we be able to defeat Jenova in four months?"

Cloud nodded his determination firmly.

"We will. We've been able to do so many things before. We can do it again."

Sephiroth wondered about Jenova's words and grew solemn. Could he really do anything? He hated these moments of self-doubt, but they remained nonetheless.

"We should go. We all have things to mull over."

Cloud agreed quietly.

"Yeah that's a good idea. Let's go guys."

* * *

Loren stumbled across the filed, having no idea where she was headed. Her thoughts made her restless.

'_Where am I? Where did they leave me? Oh God, my head hurts…'_

Her leg hit a rather large rock and she fell to the ground in a heap, her foot twisting in an odd fashion. She clawed her way to the river and weakly scooped water into her mouth. Giving a slight shudder and an inaudible curse, she collapsed one more time and fell unconscious.

A few hours later, a great wind whipped the hair about her head and blew grass and dust in the air. A shadow fell over her.

"What is this?"

A slightly pale hand turned her over. A small 'hum' emitted into the isolated space.

"Well now, if your personality matches your appearance, you may be worth my time."

Strong arms lifted her and placed her next to him on his aircraft. He gave a small 'hmph'.

"I hope you're worth it."

* * *

Cloud looked somewhat uneasy, but he was glad that Sephiroth seemed relatively sane. He nodded at the General.

"Thanks for the help."

"It was nothing. If this problem is centered around Jenova, I will be a part of it whether I like it or not. She is, after all, the one who made me what I am."

"Yeah…"

"I need to go. I still have a lot of thinking to do."

"Oh. Alright, then."

"Cloud."

"Yeah?"

The hardened warrior averted his gaze.

"…thank you, for at least trying to trust me."

Cloud tried to hide his surprise and luckily succeeded. He was actually receiving gratitude from Sephiroth?

"Err, you're welcome."

Sephiroth nodded. Cloud signaled to Cid to lower the ship.

"I will see you again sometime"

"Yeah…"

Sephiroth moved toward the front of the "deck".

"Uh, Sephiroth?"

"Hm?"

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

The man didn't turn.

"Please refrain from asking suck questions. I will be fine."

"Okay. Sorry.

"Do not apologize. You did not know until I said something."

Hearing that seemed even more strange than being thanked by Seph. He usually would have given him a cold glare and a threat.

"Bye."

Sephiroth in a single movement vaulted off the ship while it was still a quarter of a mile above ground (oww…falling 1320 ft? Gotta hurt…) Cloud ran to the railing and saw the silver-haired man plummeting to the ground feet first. For a moment Cloud thought the man attempted suicide, but saw that his momentum suddenly slowed and he landed nimbly on both feet. Giving a faint smirk and a quick thought of 'Show off…', Cloud signaled for Cid to take off.

"Take it nice and slow Cid. It's been a long day for all of us."

"Got it, Spike!"

Sephiroth walked slowly over to Loren's prison, his head downcast. About fifty feet away, he looked up. The first thing he noted as that he did not see the crystal. He sped into a swift walk. Then he saw the shards and the blood. He broke in to a run.

"Loren!"

Her body was nowhere to be found, but bloodstained crystal shards and small splatters of blood were littering the ground. He noticed bloody footprints and followed them to a bloody rock, then the river, where they abruptly stopped. The place looked windswept and noticed a large spot where something had landed. It had not been there long, perhaps a couple minutes.

"An aircraft, likely a helicopter. The only person or group I would know with a helicopter is the Turks or Rufus Shinra."

He continued musing to himself.

"They seem to have gone Northeast. I know that place…near Midgar. Now I know it was Shinra. If he hurt her…"

He let the threat hang. He willed himself to defy gravity and flew toward Midgar. Now he questioned himself while in flight.

'_What is going on? Did she break free? Did Rufus break the crystal? Damn…I'm on my way, Loren…'

* * *

_A/N: Hello...so sorry! I am using the school computer again to do this, so there's huge time gaps between updates. Sorry x100000000000000...I love you guys. Please keep reviewing. It warms my heart, really. hugs a moogle plushie kweh! Lol. 


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm SO sorry I haven't been able to update. I totally got carried away with the school year and all that good business. It's gonna be worse next year juggling Orchestra, college applications, driver's ed, and UIL stuff all at once XD It's ok though. I'll try to make time throws Alucard plushies to the audience HUGGLE**

Loren stirred, carefully opening her eyes. With her eyes open, she saw that she wasn't outside anymore, but in a luxurious indoor building.

"Hm, so I see that you're finally awake."

Her eyes flew open completely and sat up, immediately on guard, but her head started swimming dangerously. Laughing slightly, the owner of the voice gently laid her back down.

"Now, now, don't be alarmed. I won't hurt you. You're in no condition to move. I found you unconscious near the river in the Corel area. I was passing by in the helicopter when I saw you."

Loren pushed herself as far from the voice as possible. She clenched her fists.

"Why did you get me? Who are you? Where am I?"

"Hmph! Asking too many questions. You should be grateful. I could have left you do die!"

She looked up at the masculine voice. He was handsome with his blue eyes and styled strawberry blonde hair, but his appearance didn't faze her. Something about those glowing blue eyes seemed familiar though…

"Why save me? A seemingly rich man picking up a complete stranger in the middle of nowhere? It seems strange to me."

The man stood, a scowl dominating his features.

"You ungrateful woman. I should have left you by the river."

He left the room swiftly, slamming the door behind him.

"You should have…"

Loren hugged her knees, wincing when she felt a dull throb in her arms. She saw that her arms had been bandaged along with her legs. She hugged her body, realizing that he had seen her almost half-naked. Her clothes were ripped in several places, but she saw that he had not once touched her clothes. She had to respect him for that, at least. She slowly stood up and walked to the wall opposite her. She looked out the window and could not place where she was. She was surrounded by a smattering of buildings, but it hardly seemed to qualify as a town. In the distance, a large black monstrosity of a city made the air surrounding it dark. The town seemed to have suffered some trouble as the largest building seemed to have been destroyed by a large blast.

She walked to a desk and looked at a small metal name plaque, glinting slightly from the sunlight. She read the name: RUFUS SHINRA. Loren's head suddenly exploded in pain and she clutched it, refraining from screaming but just barely. Images were forcing their way through her head, memories of hers that seemed from so long ago. She stumbled around the room and eventually pushed the window open when she reached it, gasping for air that didn't seem to reach her lungs. A second wave of pain hit and she retched.

'_Who…who are these people? A red head, a bald man, a woman, a man with long black hair and Rufus…why am I seeing this?'_

She heard the door open and heard an annoyed grunt.

"You annoying woman. Did you not see that you're in no condi--"

She heard him quickly step over to her and put an arm around her waist, getting ready to pick her up.

"No…leave me by the window."

He let her be and went to his desk, bringing back a cloth to clean her face.

"I am sorry Rufus…I did not mean to be so ungrateful. If you feel the need, have your Turks dispose of me. Punish me any way you like…just do not make me do anything that involves Reno."

Rufus was thrown off by her sudden knowledge.

"What? No…! How do you suddenly know me and the Turks? What's with the sudden change? And what's wrong with Re--nevermind."

"I…I am not sure myself. I saw your name then I was suddenly in pain, like my head was about to split open."

"Look, you don't have to say things like that. I'm not going to 'dispose of you' because you're ungrateful."

Loren paused.

"Why help me? Out of curiosity, this time. You are the president. Why would the president want to help a nearly dead stranger when he could be rebuilding Midgar or something?"

'_Midgar? Must be a town. How do I know things that I cannot consciously remember?'_

"I'm trying to clean up my act. I was trying to rule the world with fear, remember?"

"…"

Rufus leaned forward.

"What exactly do you remember about me?"

"Do you want me to be blunt?"

"I suppose."

"You were a selfish brat who did care for anyone, not even your family," her eyes hardened at the mention of family, "and like you said, you tried to rule the world with fear."

Rufus rand a hand through his hair.

"You don't have many good memories of me."

"Why do you care? Are you trying to flatter me?"

Rufus paused, blinking rapidly. Loren gave a shadow of a smile.

"For a man whom no one was ever seen bleed or cry, you seem not to mind letting people see you blush."

The embarrassed man stood and walked away from the window.

"I'm not trying to flatter you!"

"Oh? Then why pick me up and take me to safety when you could be helping Edge?"

'_Edge? Must be another place. Probably this little excuse of a town…'_

He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I don't know! I saw you there half-dead and was curious! I saw your face and thought you were attractive so I took you to safety!"

Loren let out a chuckle.

"Ah, so you _are_ trying to flatter me. Sorry, it will not work on me."

Rufus turned to look at her. She could almost see it in his eyes that he was slightly disappointed.

"Speak normally, will you? The way you structure your sentences makes you sound like an old robot."

"'Normally'?"

"Yes, as in 'I'm not thirsty, so leave me alone, won't you?'."

"I…I fail to understand."

Rufus growled.

"Use contractions! Sound like a human, will you?"

"Why?"

"Because it's uncomfortable to hear someone sound like a recording of a strict etiquette professor!"

"I will…I'll try."

"See? Better already!"

The woman shook her head. Rufus bent down to meet her eyes on an equal level.

"Are you sure I can't flatter you?"

The smile was gone from his eyes. Loren put herself on guard.

"I--'m pretty sure you ca--n't."

It was a good thing she was on guard. Rufus was quick about approaching, and the kiss was very light and brief, but it was a kiss nonetheless. Shocked, she automatically shot her fist into his gut. He gave a soft growl and winced but no more. Recovering quickly, Loren angrily slammed her fist into his face twice and sent a straight shot into the center of his chest. He stumbled back a few steps, gasping softly as he did. Loren trembled, but very slightly.

"How dare you? We hardly know each other and you think you can steal a kiss from me?"

Unnaturally fast, Rufus had her pinned against the wall in the blink of an eye. His eyes were glowing brightly and the corner of his lips looked tinged with blood.

"What? Do you expect me to give myself up to you for saving me? No, I think not."

He growled again.

"I didn't want your body."

His eyes dimmed for a second then flashed as he reached inside his double breasted jacked and pulled out a sawed off shotgun. The barrel pressed against her ribs. This time she growled. A voice whispered in her mind.

"_He will pay for his transgressions."_

"No one has struck me before. You woman, shouldn't be the exception."

The barrel pressed in deeper and she saw his finger start to press down on the trigger. Loren growled one more time, but it sounded airy, hollow, like growling in an empty tunnel.

"_Do you know who I am? Can you harness me?"_

'_No. What is going on? Who are you?'_

"_So I see. Then…this will hurt."_

The aura radiating off of her was unnerving Rufus. She had her eyes meet his and he gaped--nearly--as he saw that her eyes were serpent-like yellow. A wave of energy hit Rufus, causing him to stumble back a few steps. A shadowy mist enveloped her and she screamed in agony as she began to change.

Far off in the distance…

Chaos began to growl excitedly.

"_So you live!"_

Vincent furrowed his brows in confusion.

'_What are you talking about, Chaos?'_

"_You'll see, Vincent. You'll see. Yes…delightful!"_

'…'

The color left Loren's eyes, as did the eyes themselves. Her bones reshaped themselves into something less human and small spines (horn type bones) emerged from her temples, two on each side. Her hands became claws and her teeth became fangs. The front of her face elongated into a maw and a long spiked tail emerged from behind her. She screamed again, it now sounding more akin to a roar. Her transformation was only half done, however. Her scream suddenly increased in volume as the flesh began to evaporate off of her bones. After a time, the scream stopped. Rufus took a stop away from his desk, holding his shotgun tightly in his hand. There was a slow whooshing sound as the smoke/mist disappeared. Rufus held his composure as he saw her. She still seemed slightly humanoid, as she still stood on two legs and had her arms crossed. All semblance of being human ended there. Her skull seemed like that of a dragon. Here eyes were simply empty sockets save for the glowing violet orbs in the center. Horn type spikes erupted from her temples. Her body for the most part was covered in a black cloak. The deep whooshing sound, he realized, came from a long skeletal tail that was waving slowly from side to side.

"What in the name of Holy…"

A scythe seemingly made of bone appeared in her hand.

"You, who has threatened my host, shall meet the only fate fitting for you, and that his death."

Her voice was hollow ethereal, but it carried out a strange quality that made the voice stuck between male and female. Rufus did the most he could do at the moment: he shot several rounds into the creature's body. It seemed to laugh at him.

"Face your judgment at the hands of Death."

Rufus was stubborn and prideful, but he was no fool. He bolted for the door and began to run downstairs. In the next second, the footsteps abruptly stopped and the sound of steel biting through flesh was heard twice consecutively in the air. There was a strangled cry and no more. The scythe returned to Death's hand, but it remained slightly puzzled as to what that second pierce came from. Rufus's body flew into the room in a bloody heap. Someone stepped in the room, the steps firm and purposeful. The violet orbs in Death's skull flared.

"…"

Masamune was wiped off on the body.

"So I see you once again, Sephiroth."

The beautiful sword was left on the ground as he approached her.

"I…have never seen you like this before."

"She can no longer harness my power, nor does she know who I am."

"…"

"She remembers nothing and memories only come to her through painful episodes."

"…so she does not remember me."

"No. You will have to be persistent with her."

"I…"

A gloved hand flitted against the textured bone of Death's skull. Death pulled back.

"…so different."

"…do you wish to see her? It will be painful for you. I can guarantee that much."

"Yes. Let me see her."

Death let out a hiss as it shuddered violently and then disappeared as a black shroud enveloped it. There was a clipped roar and then the shroud disappeared, slowly revealing Loren standing awkwardly, almost like a zombie. The yellowish eyes returned to their usual gray color and the spikes in her temple went back in her skull. Sephiroth put a hand on her shoulder, but she stumbled backward from him.

"Who…who…are…you?"

Holding back the hurt at hearing those words, he shook his head.

"Someone who will keep you from dying."

"No one can promise that. Ever."

"I know I cannot promise that, but I will do everything in my power to keep you alive."

"I do not need your help…where is that man?"

Sephiroth simply pointed at Rufus. Loren gaped.

"Who did this? Was it you?"

"You and I both. He may have killed you."

"…"

"I will not let you get hurt."

"Why do you care?"

He stared hard at her.

"I care because even after all this time of sadness and insanity, through all of it, I realized that though I thought I hated you, I never hated you at all. I loved you always, which is what drove me near madness."

Loren widened her eyes a little. Then she looked angry.

"Love? You hardly know me! Sadness, madness? Through all this time? What are you talking about?"

"Loren. Do you remember me at all?"

"No! I just met you!"

He grabbed her shoulders and looked her square in the eye. That glow in his eyes again seemed familiar. She struggled against him, but she could tell he was much stronger by the aura of calm and sheer power flowing from him.

"Look into my eyes. Loren, does the name Sephiroth sound familiar?"

When he said the name, Loren felt something in her mind click. The pain was unbearable. Images of the man in front of her were flying through her head. She was with him often: fighting alongside him, fighting him, holding him, kissing him, talking to him, defending him, him saving her; there were so many things she was seeing and more memories were being triggered: memories of her training her body, being experimented on by someone she recognized as Hojo, going into a mansion in the town of Nibelheim, being in a small room wanting to cry, the fact that it smelled like dung and a chicken coop not helping.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!!"

Sephiroth tuned out the screaming and held her. Eventually she passed out from the screaming and pain. Sephiroth picked her up and jumped out the window. He defied gravity again and flew to the cave where he resided. He ignored the shouts coming from behind him that were presumably Reno and the other Turks seeing their apparently dead president. All he cared about was the person he carried in his arms.

**Thank you anyone who reviews! squirms with happiness huggles all around!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm sorry again for the delay. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anythin' 'cept my psycho emo chick gets slaughtered by said psycho emo chick**

Loren slowly opened her eyes, attempting to discover what was keeping her so very warm. Taking time to adjust to the small amount of light, she saw a dimly silhouetted figure sitting on the other side of the room. His long hair fell down his shoulders and covered his face. His breaths were deep and slow; the man was apparently asleep. She sat up and lowered the blanket that had been covering her. Finally paying attention to her surroundings and not the man she somehow knew was Sephiroth, she noted that she was in a small cave that almost seemed to have a natural blue glow, though that glow was dim. A small fire had been lighted to her right. She wondered why the fire had not been placed in the middle of the cave to disperse warmth easily, but rather to the right. Loren gazed upon Sephiroth again. He had seemed to wish no ill will upon her, but he did seem very determined when he spoke to her. Her memories of him certainly were not hostile…She mentally slapped herself, and then began to think. Why was it that she had these memories of him when she had never met him before? She would have remembered a six foot tall silver-haired man who wielded a five foot long sword! She looked toward him again and almost jerked in surprise. His sea-green eyes were open and were staring straight at her.

'_This man means no ill-will. He will not hurt me. I must not panic!'_

He stood and began walking towards her, his eyes drilling holes into her head. Those eyes…they looked intimidating in full light, but at night they were positively frightening. His eyes had such a strange glow as if they were light sources unto themselves. She willed herself not to move as he stopped before her and knelt to see her at eye level.

"Loren?"

"…what?"

"Do you remember me now?"

"Sephiroth. Ex-General from Shinra military group SOLDIER. Nearly driven insane by the discovery of his creation. Somehow is connected to me."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You sound like you are spitting out data. I mean do you _really_ remember me?"

"I see memories of you and I together, but I cannot see why. I have no recollection of us being romantically involved and yet I have these memories. I do not understand."

He lowered his head slowly and kept his features passive.

"So in short…you do not love me."

"I do not know you. Why would I?"

He stood up so quickly Loren felt a whoosh of air hit her face. She became ready to guard herself but he simply looked at her. Something in his eyes made her feel uncomfortable, guilty even.

"_How sad…"_

Loren shook her head at the voice. She saw Sephiroth's hand glow slightly.

"Sleep."

He left the cave without another word. A wave of drowsiness hit Loren and she fell unconscious without even having the ability to fight it.

When Loren woke, she was in complete darkness. She searched for the entrance of the cave but the cave seemed more spacious than she remembered. Suddenly, somehow in the darkness, she saw Sephiroth. A sudden rush of affection hit her and she involuntarily took a step toward him. She saw a figure standing behind him, but she could only see the silhouette. Her mind was screaming at her to stop but her legs continued to push forward until she was standing directly in front of him. His face showed no emotion.

'Sephiroth?'

The silhouette moved slightly and she heard the gentle rustle of cloth and a soft clink of metal. Loren raised her hand to touch his face, as desperately as her mind told her to stop. Staring down at her emotionlessly, he turned away and started walking into the blackness. She took a stop after him and touched his arm, but he flung her away and began to laugh, almost maniacally. Loren pushed herself off the floor and bolted for the disappearing man, an unknown worry welling up inside her.

'Sephiroth!'

He didn't stop for her.

"**Wait**!"

She sat up off the ground and looked around her wildly. Able to see the cave surrounding her and seeing light from pre-dawn, she shook her head and placed a hand on her forehead.

"It…it was a dream…"

Loren crept to the cave entrance as silently as possible. Seeing what was outside, she swallowed hard. Sephiroth, shirtless, was waving his sword around as swiftly as he would wave around a knife, his movements fluid and graceful. His hair trailed behind him like a long silver curtain, his eyes flashing, his muscles rippling. One would figure that with his feet moving so much and that impossibly long sword creating so much wind, he would be surrounded by a cloud of dust, but not so much as a speck moved. It was almost as if he couldn't affect the earth around him…but she knew that he could move mountains if he so pleased. He was like an angel incarnate…but as much as she thought he was like an angel, she could still see that he was very much human by the way his face twisted in a pain Loren could easily see. The man growled, did a quick but graceful 180˚ turn and launched a large fireball at a small nearby shrub. The poor plant was incinerated in seconds. Giving a quick scan, Loren saw that several small shrubs and rocks had suffered a similar fate, though at the hands of different elements. Some had been scorched, some frozen, some uprooted through large cracks in the earth, and some others scorched but with a vein-y forked pattern. He had clearly been upset for a long time. He only had a very light sheen of sweat covering his body, considering the apparent amount of time he had been torturing the planet.

"How long have you been doing this?"

He paused completely, deliberately avoiding her gaze.

"Since you fell asleep."

"How long was I asleep?"

"Close to nine hours."

"…That was you, wasn't it? You were the one who put me to sleep, weren't you?"

Both she and Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

'_Since when have I used contractions? Why can I talk to him like this? Using contractions around him does not seem to bother me…but why?'_

A specific memory of she and Sephiroth together was triggered.

"_She's…accepted me…thank you…Aeris…"_

_Everyone's eyes bugged out. Cloud whispered._

"_He hasn't spoken like that since five years ago…"_

_Loren spoke into Sephiroth's ear._

"_They all have accepted you. Just relax a bit. They won't kill you if you speak like a normal person."_

_He narrowed his eyes._

"_Then you have to speak normally as well."_

"_Okay."_

_Loren smiled gently and touched his arm, savoring the feeling that he left in her. Knowing how he felt, she wondered if he savored the feeling, too…_

"…"

Loren winced and clutched her head.

'_Why do I care? What are these memories trying to achieve?'_

She didn't trust the man, but something inside her was calling out to him. She hated it.

"I…apologize for hurting you."

"What? No, do not apologize. You do not remember. I…I will get over it."

The calling in Loren became stronger.

"Why did you shout out in your sleep?"

Loren silently cursed that dream.

"It was nothing. It was just a dream."

"…"

She felt as if something hidden inside possessed her and she was fighting a losing battle for control. But really…did she _want_ to win? Something inside her _wanted_ the words to come out.

"What if…what if I do not _want_ you to get over it?"

"_Take him."_

"What are you saying?"

"_You love him. It is in your heart. Show him! Take him!"_

"I…I am not sure. Something is telling me not to let you go."

In three long strides, Sephiroth was standing before her. His presence made her want to run away.

"Are you lying to me?"

"_For the love of Holy, take him!"_

'_Do you want him, or do I?'_

The voice didn't respond. The warmth and sheer power radiating from him was making her breath labored. She really _did_ want him.

"How are…you doing this…to me?"

A faint smirk played on Sephiroth's lips. He began stepping forward, slowly backing her into the cave.

"Doing what exactly?"

"I…I don't know…"

Another voice pierced her mind. It was softer, more feminine.

"_Not yet."_

'_I really do not like hearing voices. It makes me feel schizophrenic.'_

"_Control yourself. I know a part of you wants this, but hold it off a while longer. Be sure that you want it and be completely in love again."_

'_I understand. I--'_

Loren tripped on a rock the size of a grapefruit and fell flat on her back. Still smirking, the ex-General walked to her side and knelt down, placing a hand on either side of her. Her heart was racing so fast it was fit to burst out of her chest.

"What am I doing to you?"

The voice was right. It was too soon. She couldn't take it, not now.

"Please stop."

"Why?"

"I can't do this. I have just been…I was forcefully taken not more than a few days ago. I…I am just not ready."

He pulled his hands away and sat next to her. His brows were furrowed.

"Who did it?"

"A man I worked for and his friends."

"Man you worked for?"

"Yes. I worked for him a good deal of my life but he wanted more than I could give, so he took it from me."

Talking about the subject didn't faze her.

"_So you've dealt with it then…I'm so glad. You can continue forward now."_

'…_what?'_

"_Are you ready?"_

Those words sounded familiar. Suddenly, it clicked.

"Oh god, NO!"

Sephiroth looked confused and stunned. This pain was more than any of the previous pains she had experienced. An energy wave knocked Sephiroth to the far end of the cave and Loren was lifted into the air. Fire engulfed her and she screamed in agony as waves upon waves of memories flowed into her mind. Alarmed, Sephiroth ran to Loren and stuck his hand into the pillar of fire to pull her out, but his hand was immediately scorched. This fire was hotter than anything he had ever experienced. Growling, he peeled off the burning glove and looked at her in desperate frustration. She was still screaming, tearing at her hair and face with her nails. She writhed and twisted in the pillar, and tears flew out of white eyes.

"MAKE IT STOP!! OH GOD, MAKE IT STOP!!"

Sephiroth looked at her in shock. He had been burned by the pillar of flames. Why was it that she wasn't burning as well? Doing the first thing that came to mind, Sephiroth cast Ice 3 on Loren. All it succeeded at doing was turning the flames blue. Sephiroth clenched his fist and set up an immediate shield as strong as he could muster. He felt something coming, something big. He wasn't far off his mark. The pillar of fire exploded outward as she let out one final scream and collapsed to the ground. Waves of fire washed over Sephiroth and despite his shield, he could still feel the heat of the flames beating down on him and he could feel sweat developing on his brow. Steam came off the walls and floor of the cave. Sephiroth let the barrier drop and strode quickly to Loren's side. He grasped her shoulder and held on despite how hot her skin was.

"Loren. Loren!"

Loren winced and slowly opened her eyes.

"I…remember…everything…"

"We can talk about that later. Are you alright?"

"You care about my welfare more than what I remember?"

"You are my only priority."

"…thank you."

He resisted the urge to stroke her hair.

"My head hurts…I'm still a little sore from me remembering everything."

'_She sounds like her old self again…does that mean I can be 'normal' around her like I was before?'_

"You can do it. You're as stubborn as a mule."

Loren's eyebrow twitched and she gave him a mirror reflection of his patented Death Glare. She began to drum her fingers against her leg.

"What was that?"

Sephiroth sensed danger. He looked away from her.

"You're stubborn. You'll be able to live through mostly everything."

A dangerous smirk dominated Loren's features.

"Oh…?"

He turned completely away from her.

"I only speak the truth."

Loren promptly knocked Sephiroth to the ground and grabbed his shoulders with both hands. She shook him a few times for extra emphasis.

"I am not a mule, you hear? Never compare me to such a dumb creature!"

Sephiroth gave a dark chuckle and smiled at her evilly, his eyes narrowed. Glaring at him even more, Loren covered his face with her hand and gave him a somewhat hard punch to the chest.

"Don't laugh at me! _Stulte_!"

The look on her face was making Sephiroth laugh even more. Incensed, Loren smacked his head against the ground. He growled softly.

"Woman, you have no idea what you do to me."

His gaze became smoldering and his tone became that of a deep growl. Caught off guard, Loren bit her tongue and looked away. She felt his hands grasp her legs. The notions she felt running through his mind and the raging blood in his body caused her to blush. She struggled to rise off of his body, but he seized her waist and flipped her over so that she was under him. He growled again.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't take you right now."

"I…I don't know if I have one…my past doesn't bother me anymore…but I…I don't know if I'm ready…"

His eyes softened considerably.

"Fine. But there is something I want you to know."

"Oh? What is it?"

"I love you."

Loren froze. She gazed up at Sephiroth in mild shock.

"You're actually saying that to my face?"

"I just said it, didn't I?"

"…"

Loren chose to simply stare at him.

"I wasn't expecting that out of you."

"I know, but I owe you. I'm about ten years late in actually confessing."

Loren smiled and rolled onto her side so that Sephiroth's arm was draped on her shoulder.

"Yeah. I guess you are."

**I heart my readers! Comments are appreciated cuddles Vincent plushie**

**Vin: Stop it. blushing Leave the plushie me alone!**

**Me: HUGGLE**

**Vin: cries**


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